Stocks finished mixed, following a sell-off in Europe, on worries over Portugal possibly needing a financial bailout, ahead of the kick-off of the fourth-quarter earnings season.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell by 37.31 points, or 0.32 percent, to close at 11637.45. However, at one time, the Dow was down by as much as 100 points. The S&P 500 index slipped 1.75 points, or 0.14 percent, at 1269.75. The Nasdaq gained 4.63 points, or 0.17 percent, at 2707.80.

Euro zone countries, notably Germany and France applied pressure on Portugal to accept a bailout to alleviate its debt problems.